{"id":11799,"date":"2013-02-27T08:08:28","date_gmt":"2013-02-27T13:08:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/hometownhealth\/2013\/02\/probiotics-101-your-secret-to-a-healthy-immune-system.html"},"modified":"2018-07-10T15:10:29","modified_gmt":"2018-07-10T19:10:29","slug":"probiotics-101-your-secret-to-a-healthy-immune-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/hometownhealth\/2013\/02\/probiotics-101-your-secret-to-a-healthy-immune-system\/","title":{"rendered":"Probiotics 101: Your Secret to a Healthy Immune System"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Probiotics are a popular topic today. Everywhere there are ads for foods and supplements to make sure you get these good-guy bacteria into your digestive system. But what are probiotics exactly, and why are they important? And how do you distinguish the good products offering them from the useless ones?<\/p>\n<p>Bacteria are microorganisms that occur naturally in many areas of the human body, so they are nothing to get squeamish about. Probiotic bacteria live in the human digestive tract. And we want them there-they help digest food and support our immune system. They can also be produced externally during the process of fermenting certain foods, like yogurt and kimchi, or added into supplements for consumption.<\/p>\n<p>Below are some interesting facts about these beneficial bacteria :<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Scientists estimate there are several hundred strains of probiotic bacteria living in the human digestive tract. The most common are <i>Lactobacilli <\/i>and <i>Bifidobacteria<\/i> (the names you will often see on the ingredient list of fermented foods and supplements).<\/li>\n<li>Each individual has their own unique population of bacteria and other microorganisms, even though the species are virtually the same. They support the immune system by regulating the population and density of intestinal immune cells and help prevent unwanted microbes from entering the blood stream.<\/li>\n<li>Stress, poor diet, antibiotic use, and exposure to harmful substances can reduce the number of beneficial bacteria, but they are generally able to reestablish themselves after a time. Supplemental probiotics can help replenish their numbers after severe illness, stress, prolonged use of antibiotics, or exposure to harmful substances.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The best way to promote the health of our intestinal bacteria is to eat whole foods that naturally contain them, especially during times of stress or illness. Foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, kombucha, miso, tempeh, kefir, and kimchi are readily available in most grocery and health food stores. Look for the term &#8220;active live cultures&#8221; on the ingredient label or packaging to make sure you are getting a healthy dose. Many foods will say they contain probiotics, but do not have live cultures. And if the cultures aren&#8217;t live, they aren&#8217;t going to be of much help.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to their daily duties of breaking down food and keeping us healthy, probiotics have helped many people find relief from allergies, digestive discomfort, diarrhea, IBS, Crohn&#8217;s disease, candida (yeast overgrowth), high cholesterol, acne, eczema, common infections and other complaints. Even if you are on medications or have a restricted diet, probiotics can often be added in safely in some form as an additional help.<\/p>\n<p>If you in the market for a probiotic supplement, look for the following on any label (and make sure to check the expiration date):<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Provides both immune system and digestive support<\/li>\n<li>Contains the Lactobacillus Acidophilus strain<\/li>\n<li>Is dairy and gluten free<\/li>\n<li>Contains no artificial sweeteners, flavors, or preservatives<\/li>\n<li>Provides both immune system and digestive support<\/li>\n<li>Contains at least 5 billion live organisms<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Though there is still some scientific controversy over whether probiotics really work, a recent <a href=\"http:\/\/ajhp.org\/content\/67\/6\/449.short\">study<\/a> published in <i>The American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy<\/i><br \/>\nconcluded, &#8220;probiotics have demonstrated efficacy in preventing and<br \/>\ntreating various medical conditions, particularly those involving the<br \/>\ngastrointestinal tract.&#8221; Since we have so many blood vessels and nerve<br \/>\nendings in our intestines-often described as a &#8220;second brain&#8221; because<br \/>\nthere are so many-it makes sense that this would be the starting point for<br \/>\nour body&#8217;s main defense system.<\/p>\n<p>So take good care of your intestinal bacteria, and they will take good care of you!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Probiotics are a popular topic today. Everywhere there are ads for foods and supplements to make sure you get these good-guy bacteria into your digestive system. But what are probiotics exactly, and why are they important? And how do you&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":181,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\r\n<title>Probiotics 101: Your Secret to a Healthy Immune System - Hometown Health: A Health Blog Featuring Glens Falls Practitioners<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/hometownhealth\/2013\/02\/probiotics-101-your-secret-to-a-healthy-immune-system\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Probiotics 101: Your Secret to a Healthy Immune System - Hometown Health: A Health Blog Featuring Glens Falls Practitioners\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Probiotics are a popular topic today. 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